Scan software installed, but scanner cannot find the computer or the software

[Eric132]

The printer/scanner is HP OfficeJet Pro 9015. When I installed the software, I go to the printer display, select scan, select the computer, and it works perfectly. The problem is that I have installed the scanning software at least 4 times, and it works ... until the sun goes down and rises again. The next morning, the printer/scanner acts as if there is no connection, no computer, and no software. I cannot keep reinstalling the scanning software each day of my life so I can use this equipment. 

More details. I have visited hp.123.com every time and I do the full installation, not the partial or recommended version. The full installation. HP Smart

The scanner display shows two options for scanning:

#1. [computer name] 

#2. Scan to [computer name]

Neither works. I don't understand why there are two options.

#1 results in this message when I try to scan: Connection required. The selected computer is not available. Make sure: the computer is turned on. The computer and the printer are properly set up on the same network. The HP printer software is installed on the computer and configured.

Notes: The wi-fi is connected because I have successfully sent a print job. Also, Windows Fax and Scan opened up (and put the dialogue box behind every open window, so I didn't know it was open), and was able to scan. It goes without saying that the computer is on. The printer menu already shows this printer as the default, so the software is installed.

Tangential notes: Windows Fax and Scan scans multiple pages as individual picture files, then I have to print each one to pdf, open the pdf reader, rotate the picture back to portrait, then merge all the separate single-page files into one document. Extremely inefficient.

#2 results in this message: Software required. Visit 123.hp.com to get the HP Smart app or other HP scanning software for your computer.

Notes: I have installed the software 4-5 times already. It is on the computer. When I go to the Windows icon and look at all the apps, HP Smart is installed. However, even though I have used HP Smart to do printing functions, today it doesn't have a printer assigned, so once again, I am setting up the printer, although it froze on a white blank screen and wouldn't do anything, so I had to close it all and start over again. Not only that, this webpage also froze and locked up the computer, going to full black screen for a minute or two. Welcome to my world.

I am at a loss for what to do. How can I install this software on the printer/computer so that it is, for all intents and purposes, permanently installed and set up, so when I go to scan a document no matter the time of day, no matter how many computer restarts, it works and doesn't report that there is no software installed or that it cannot find the computer and that I have to reinstall and re-setup the printer each time!

Last non sequitur. I never understand why the computer can print to the printer over wi-fi, but the scanner cannot return the favor. 

[Sneha_01]

Hi @Eric132 

Welcome to HP Support Community.

Thank you for posting your query, I will be glad to help you.

It sounds like you're dealing with an intermittent connection issue between your HP OfficeJet Pro 9015 and your computer, which is really frustrating. Since the printer works with printing but not scanning once the system resets, we can explore a few things that might help resolve the issue:

1. Check the Printer’s Network Connection:

• Double-check that the printer is consistently connected to the same Wi-Fi network as your computer. If it's on a different network or loses connection, it might show as unavailable when trying to scan.
• Try using the HP Print and Scan Doctor tool. It can automatically diagnose and fix common connectivity issues between the printer and your PC.

2. Firewall/Antivirus Interference:

• Sometimes, antivirus or firewall settings can block communication between the printer and the scanning software. You could try temporarily disabling the firewall/antivirus to see if it resolves the issue, then re-enable it afterward. If that helps, you may need to configure the firewall to allow communication with the HP software.

3. Update or Reinstall Printer Drivers:

• You mentioned reinstalling the software multiple times, but it might help to check for updated drivers on HP’s website. Ensure you're downloading the latest version of the HP Smart app and the drivers.
• If you haven't already, uninstall all HP software completely (using HP's own removal tool if possible) before reinstalling, to avoid any leftover conflicts from previous installations.

4. Windows Scanning Settings:

• Check that your computer’s scan settings in Windows aren’t causing issues. Sometimes, the system can be confused by multiple scanning programs. If you haven’t yet, try resetting the Windows Scan settings or making sure the default scanning application is set to HP Smart.
• Also, ensure the Windows Fax and Scan tool isn’t taking over the scanning task unexpectedly, as it might open behind other windows as you mentioned.

5. Network Sleep Settings:

• Make sure that sleep settings for both your printer and your PC aren't causing the connection to drop overnight. Check the printer's sleep mode settings and ensure your PC doesn't go into too deep of sleep where it could affect network connections.

I hope this helps.

Take care and have a good day.

Please mark this post as “Accepted Solution” if the issue is resolved and if you feel this reply was helpful click “Yes”.

Rachel571

HP Support